El Mencho DEAD?! Shocking Aftermath Rocks Mexico! What Happens Now?!

The alleged death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as "El Mencho," at the hands of the Mexican army on Sunday has sent shockwaves through the country. If confirmed, it's a major victory against organized crime, but also a moment of high alert, as it could unleash a fresh wave of violence as rival cartels and factions within the CJNG vie for control.

El Mencho DEAD?! Shocking Aftermath Rocks Mexico! ...

Oseguera Cervantes was the undisputed leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a particularly brutal organization known for its aggressive tactics and control over significant portions of the drug trade. They're not just moving drugs; they're known for their open warfare against the Mexican state, something that sets them apart even among cartels. The CJNG has become a dominant player in the trafficking of cocaine, methamphetamine, and, most alarmingly, fentanyl.

"He was brutal," noted Alejandro Garcia Magos, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto who specializes in Mexican politics. He rightly described Oseguera Cervantes' reported demise as "good news," though I suspect many Mexicans are holding their breath, waiting to see what chaos this vacuum creates. We've seen this story before – a kingpin falls, and the wolves come out fighting.

The US government had long sought Oseguera Cervantes' capture, with the State Department offering a hefty $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest. Both the US and Canada had designated the CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization a year prior, signaling the seriousness with which they viewed the cartel's activities.

El Mencho's origins are rooted in poverty. Born in 1966 in rural Michoacán, he reportedly crossed illegally into the United States in the 1980s, landing in the San Francisco Bay Area. His time there wasn't exactly law-abiding; he faced arrests for firearms and drug offenses before being deported back to Mexico. But that wasn't the end of his American adventure; reports suggest he re-entered the US, continuing his criminal activities.

According to Univision, Oseguera Cervantes used numerous aliases to smuggle drugs across the border. A key event occurred in 1992 when he and his brother Abraham were arrested in Sacramento for a heroin deal with undercover officers. This was a turning point.

Rolling Stone reported that "El Mencho" took a plea deal to shield his brother Abraham from a potential life sentence, even though "El Mencho" was merely acting as a lookout. He received a five-year sentence, but was paroled after three years and deported back to Mexico – a fateful decision in retrospect.

Back in Mexico, "El Mencho" initially joined the Jalisco state police – an ironic twist – before transitioning to the Milenio Cartel, marrying into the influential González Valencia family, who ran the cartel. He rose through the ranks from an assassin tasked with protecting Milenio's leaders to a top lieutenant during the cartel's alliance with the Sinaloa Cartel. He worked closely with Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel, a close ally of "El Chapo" Guzmán, enforcing Sinaloa's grip on drug trafficking through Jalisco. When Coronel was killed in 2010 and Milenio's leader ("El Lobo") was captured, the cartel fractured. "El Mencho" led one of the warring factions, ultimately winning control and rebranding the organization as the CJNG. Now, if the reports are true, his reign may finally be over.